Psychological StressNCT07536711
Ego-Tucking: Exploring the Psychological Mechanisms of the "Fo-xi" Phenomenon Among University Students
An observational study of Psychological Stress and Mental Fatigue, run by Lincoln University College at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
The objective of this cross-sectional study is to explore the multi-dimensional factors influencing the shift toward "Ego-Tucking" (Fo-xi) mindsets among the contemporary student population. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Psychological Stress, Mental Fatigue, Self-Perception
- How many people
- 713 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2026to 8 Apr 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: The study population consists of university students and recent graduates navigating a high-pressure transition from higher education to a precarious labor market. This cohort is characterized by significant personal investment in academic and professional competition, often accompanied by a history of frustration where outcomes failed to meet expectations.
Who may be able to join
- Currently enrolled undergraduate or postgraduate students, or recent graduates within the last two years.
- Adults aged 18 to 30 years. Individuals who have participated in competitive academic or professional processes, such as entrance exams, internships, or job seeking.
- Participants must be familiar with contemporary social concepts like "involution" (neijuan), "lying flat" (tang-ping), and "institutional stability" (bian-zhi).
Who cannot join
- Individuals with diagnosed severe mental health disorders that might prevent distinguishing between strategic withdrawal and pathological symptoms.
- Those who have not experienced the specific socio-structural pressures or "evaluative singularity" common in the current competitive environment.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The objective of this cross-sectional study is to explore the multi-dimensional factors influencing the shift toward "Ego-Tucking" (Fo-xi) mindsets among the contemporary student population. By utilizing a comprehensive structured questionnaire, the research aims to quantify how individual experiences, family dynamics, and macro-social environments contribute to behavioral changes and psychological defense mechanisms in the face of intense academic and professional competition.
- Being tested
- No Interventions
- Medical subject headings
- Stress, Psychological, Mental Fatigue
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
No InterventionsOther
This is an observational study. No active intervention or treatment is administered to the participants. The study involves only the completion of a psychological questionnaire.
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Psychological Reorientation from Competitive Frustration (PRCF)
The Psychological Reorientation from Competitive Frustration (PRCF) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to quantify a specific multidimensional psychological response to chronic competitive stress and systemic effort-reward imbalances. Grounded in the contemporary socio-cultural phenomena of "lying flat" (tang-ping) and "involution" (neijuan), the scale operationalizes the theoretical construct of "Ego-Tucking"-a proactive psychological defense mechanism characterized by the strategic contraction of the social ego to preserve cognitive and emotional resources. Unlike passive amotivation or clinical depression, the PRCF assesses a deliberate reorientation where individuals withdraw from mainstream social evaluation tracks (e.g., academic rankings, professional hierarchy, and upward mobility) to mitigate internal anxiety and psychological exhaustion resulting from failed personal investments in significant competitions. Total Score Range: 15-75.
Measured: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
Socio-familial Cushioning and Expectations (SCE)
The Socio-familial Cushioning and Expectations (SCE) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to evaluate the dual-faceted role of the family unit as both a material safety net and a psychological stressor within hyper-competitive environments. This measure operationalizes the tension between material cushioning-the family's capacity to sustain living expenses and provide alternative career pathways -and performance-contingent expectations, where parental appraisal is tied to institutional prestige rather than personal character. The scale captures a critical intergenerational "perception gap," where parents, influenced by the "era dividends" of their own history, dismiss contemporary competitive pressures as "fragility". This lack of empathy often forces individuals to adopt a posture of proactive withdrawal from familial dialogue to mitigate anxiety and avoid acute conflict. Total Score Range: 12-70.
Measured: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
Socio-Structural Pressure and Evaluative Singularity (SSPES)
The Socio-Structural Pressure and Evaluative Singularity (SSPES) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to quantify the perceived impact of rigid social hierarchies and monolithic success metrics on individual psychological well-being. This measure operationalizes the concept of "evaluative singularity," where success is increasingly reduced to narrow indicators like institutional stability (bian-zhi) or high income, rendering alternative domains of achievement socially invisible. The scale assesses three core dimensions: occupational stigma, educational disillusionment, and defensive detachment. Total Score Range: 12-70.
Measured: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
Defensive Boundary Contraction (DBC)
The Defensive Boundary Contraction (DBC) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to measure the behavioral and spatial dimensions of "Ego-Tucking" as a self-regulatory strategy. This construct operationalizes the process by which individuals strategically reduce their social and physical spheres to mitigate the psychological exhaustion associated with hyper-competitive environments. The scale evaluates three primary adaptive behaviors: social minimalism, sensory insulation, and spatial confinement. First, it quantifies the reduction of non-essential social engagements in favor of a minimal core relationship circle, which serves to preserve depleted cognitive and emotional resources. Second, it assesses the use of "sensory shields"-such as headphones, bed curtains, or digital immersion-to achieve psychological detachment and tranquility amidst perceived environmental turbulence. Total Score Range: 3-15.
Measured: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
Internal Psychological Retrenchment(IPR)
The Internal Psychological Retrenchment (IPR) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to quantify the cognitive and emotional dimensions of strategic disengagement in response to chronic competitive stress. This construct operationalizes a self-regulatory process where individuals deliberately regulate their emotional investment in academic or professional pursuits to mitigate the psychological trauma of potential failure. The scale assesses three primary mechanisms: emotional neutrality, aspiration marginalization, and temporal shifting. Total Score Range: 9-45.
Measured: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
Micro-Domain Revitalisation and Meaning Anchoring (MRMA)
The Micro-Domain Revitalisation and Meaning Anchoring (MRMA) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to evaluate the constructive and restorative dimensions of "Ego-Tucking" as a proactive adaptation to systemic frustration. This construct operationalizes the process of existential re-anchoring, where individuals decouple their sense of self-worth from mainstream social hierarchies to establish autonomous, self-defined evaluation standards. The scale assesses three primary psychological mechanisms: intrinsic domain shift, ritualized daily agency, and latent motivational preservation. Total Score Range: 9-45.
Measured: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Apr 2026
- Study start1 Mar 2026
- Primary completion8 Apr 2026
- Study completion8 Apr 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Psychological StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Ecologic or community
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 713 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Lincoln University College
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Linjun Liu, Lincoln University College
- Investigators
- Sheng Yan, Study director, Wuhan University of Technology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07536711
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- WTU-010326
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 9 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 17 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Ego-Tucking: Exploring the Psychological Mechanisms of the "Fo-xi" Phenomenon Among University Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07536711
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- WTU-010326
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 713 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Lincoln University CollegeUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 8 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 8 Apr 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 17 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The objective of this cross-sectional study is to explore the multi-dimensional factors influencing the shift toward "Ego-Tucking" (Fo-xi) mindsets among the contemporary student population. By utilizing a comprehensive structured questionnaire, the research aims to quantify how individual experiences, family dynamics, and macro-social environments contribute to behavioral changes and psychological defense mechanisms in the face of intense academic and professional competition.
Study design
- Observational model
- Ecologic or community
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- The study population consists of university students and recent graduates navigating a high-pressure transition from higher education to a precarious labor market. This cohort is characterized by significant personal investment in academic and professional competition, often accompanied by a history of frustration where outcomes failed to meet expectations.
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Currently enrolled undergraduate or postgraduate students, or recent graduates within the last two years.
- Adults aged 18 to 30 years. Individuals who have participated in competitive academic or professional processes, such as entrance exams, internships, or job seeking.
- Participants must be familiar with contemporary social concepts like "involution" (neijuan), "lying flat" (tang-ping), and "institutional stability" (bian-zhi).
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Individuals with diagnosed severe mental health disorders that might prevent distinguishing between strategic withdrawal and pathological symptoms.
- Those who have not experienced the specific socio-structural pressures or "evaluative singularity" common in the current competitive environment.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| No InterventionsThis is an observational study. No active intervention or treatment is administered to the participants. The study involves only the completion of a psychological questionnaire. | Other | – |
Primary outcome
Psychological Reorientation from Competitive Frustration (PRCF)
Time frame: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
The Psychological Reorientation from Competitive Frustration (PRCF) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to quantify a specific multidimensional psychological response to chronic competitive stress and systemic effort-reward imbalances. Grounded in the contemporary socio-cultural phenomena of "lying flat" (tang-ping) and "involution" (neijuan), the scale operationalizes the theoretical construct of "Ego-Tucking"-a proactive psychological defense mechanism characterized by the strategic contraction of the social ego to preserve cognitive and emotional resources. Unlike passive amotivation or clinical depression, the PRCF assesses a deliberate reorientation where individuals withdraw from mainstream social evaluation tracks (e.g., academic rankings, professional hierarchy, and upward mobility) to mitigate internal anxiety and psychological exhaustion resulting from failed personal investments in significant competitions. Total Score Range: 15-75.
Socio-familial Cushioning and Expectations (SCE)
Time frame: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
The Socio-familial Cushioning and Expectations (SCE) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to evaluate the dual-faceted role of the family unit as both a material safety net and a psychological stressor within hyper-competitive environments. This measure operationalizes the tension between material cushioning-the family's capacity to sustain living expenses and provide alternative career pathways -and performance-contingent expectations, where parental appraisal is tied to institutional prestige rather than personal character. The scale captures a critical intergenerational "perception gap," where parents, influenced by the "era dividends" of their own history, dismiss contemporary competitive pressures as "fragility". This lack of empathy often forces individuals to adopt a posture of proactive withdrawal from familial dialogue to mitigate anxiety and avoid acute conflict. Total Score Range: 12-70.
Socio-Structural Pressure and Evaluative Singularity (SSPES)
Time frame: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
The Socio-Structural Pressure and Evaluative Singularity (SSPES) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to quantify the perceived impact of rigid social hierarchies and monolithic success metrics on individual psychological well-being. This measure operationalizes the concept of "evaluative singularity," where success is increasingly reduced to narrow indicators like institutional stability (bian-zhi) or high income, rendering alternative domains of achievement socially invisible. The scale assesses three core dimensions: occupational stigma, educational disillusionment, and defensive detachment. Total Score Range: 12-70.
Defensive Boundary Contraction (DBC)
Time frame: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
The Defensive Boundary Contraction (DBC) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to measure the behavioral and spatial dimensions of "Ego-Tucking" as a self-regulatory strategy. This construct operationalizes the process by which individuals strategically reduce their social and physical spheres to mitigate the psychological exhaustion associated with hyper-competitive environments. The scale evaluates three primary adaptive behaviors: social minimalism, sensory insulation, and spatial confinement. First, it quantifies the reduction of non-essential social engagements in favor of a minimal core relationship circle, which serves to preserve depleted cognitive and emotional resources. Second, it assesses the use of "sensory shields"-such as headphones, bed curtains, or digital immersion-to achieve psychological detachment and tranquility amidst perceived environmental turbulence. Total Score Range: 3-15.
Internal Psychological Retrenchment(IPR)
Time frame: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
The Internal Psychological Retrenchment (IPR) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to quantify the cognitive and emotional dimensions of strategic disengagement in response to chronic competitive stress. This construct operationalizes a self-regulatory process where individuals deliberately regulate their emotional investment in academic or professional pursuits to mitigate the psychological trauma of potential failure. The scale assesses three primary mechanisms: emotional neutrality, aspiration marginalization, and temporal shifting. Total Score Range: 9-45.
Micro-Domain Revitalisation and Meaning Anchoring (MRMA)
Time frame: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.
The Micro-Domain Revitalisation and Meaning Anchoring (MRMA) scale is a psychometric instrument designed to evaluate the constructive and restorative dimensions of "Ego-Tucking" as a proactive adaptation to systemic frustration. This construct operationalizes the process of existential re-anchoring, where individuals decouple their sense of self-worth from mainstream social hierarchies to establish autonomous, self-defined evaluation standards. The scale assesses three primary psychological mechanisms: intrinsic domain shift, ritualized daily agency, and latent motivational preservation. Total Score Range: 9-45.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Sheng Yan study director
Wuhan University of Technology
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Psychological Stress and Mental Fatigue, run by Lincoln University College at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Psychological Reorientation from Competitive Frustration (PRCF) (time frame: Baseline assessment upon enrollment (Day 0); all data points are collected during a single session via an online survey.). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Apr 2026.